The present invention relates to a combination between the blade bracket and the motor casing for ceiling fans.
A conventional combination between blade brackets and a motor casing for ceiling fans known to applicant is shown in FIG. 6 and generally includes an engaging plate 52 on a lower end of the motor casing 51, and threaded holes 521 are defined in the engaging plate 52. Each blade bracket 531 is connected to a blade 54 by a shank 53, and two holes 532 are defined through the bracket 531 so that the bracket 531 is fixed to the plate 52 by bolts 533 extending through the holes 532 and engaged with the threaded holes 521. The connection between the brackets 531 and the plate 52 by bolts 533 could be loosened and that will cause dangerous results. Another engagement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,048,173 to Tsai, the assignee with the title of xe2x80x9cengagement of blade brackets and the motor casing for a ceiling fanxe2x80x9d. As shown in FIG. 7, the U.S. Pat. No. 6,048,173 disclosed a bracket 631 with two inclined side and the engaging plate 62 has tapered-shaped recesses 621 so that the brackets 631 is securely engaged with the recesses 621 by centrifugal force. However, this engagement requires a precise machining work to make sure that the brackets 631 is snugly engaged with the recesses 621, or the coating on the brackets 631 and the inside of the recesses 621 could be peeled off and get rust therein.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a combination of blade brackets and motor casing for ceiling fans. An engaging ring is connected to the motor casing and a plurality of slots are defined in an underside of the engaging ring. Each slot is located between two sidewalls extending from the underside of the engaging ring and a first notch is defined in an inside of the close end defining each slot so as to receive a U-shaped spring therein. A boss extends from an inner top surface defining each slot and a recess is defined in the inner top surface defining each slot and opens to the inner periphery of the engaging ring so that a positioning space is defined between a section of the boss and the an inner top surface defining the recess. Each blade bracket has a block extending therefrom and each block includes an elongate head and an elongate neck which is engaged between the two legs of the spring. The elongate head is received in the positioning space in each slot. A lengthwise distance of each elongate neck is longer than a distance between the two legs of each spring so that the two legs of the spring are widened by the elongated neck. An end plate extends from each blade bracket and is located in opposite to a blade connected to the blade bracket. Each end plate has two inclined sides so that when rotating the bracket to let the two legs of the spring widened, the two inclined sides are pushed by the two sidewalls.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a combination between the blade bracket and the motor casing wherein a spring is received in each slot and clamps a boss of each blade bracket.
These and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.